Centzontotochtin

Noise Candy

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The scroll is mashed due to being jammed between some dry bones to keep it from blowing away; the only suggestion of what delivered it is several tiny, pointy footprints, like a creature whose feet only end in single claws.

I seem to remember you were interested in "candy." If this message has reached you in error, tear it up or... whatever.


It's not sensitive information so if you're not part of Tonatiuh's clan you ain't going to get something interesting out of this letter.


(The second page explains:)
Those two rainbow blights of the Miasma had some more eggs. As usual, Isoar can't be arsed to care for her own damn pups, she's still crowing over that damn skydancer. Two of em are strong enough, though... Not sure about that purple one. Real pretty fleshy-lookin growths on it, but he's real flinchy. Well... yeah, you know what that means. If you wanna take one of these delectable little pustules off our hands, Lemme know.

--Agwe. Meandering Miasma.

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Tlazoteotl lands heavily in the middle of the clan grounds crowing a greeting. His awful green tunic flaps from the backwash of air, but he visibly preens as the others balk at it.

"TLAZO HERE FOR ISOAR!" the great ridgeback booms. "TLAZO DELIVER MESSAGE. TONATIUH SAY TO TLAZO , GET OUT OF HERE YOU LUM..LUMBOORING OAF."

He sways with barely contained excitement.

"TLAZO WANT CANDY."

Little pink eyes search the crowd for the mentioned sweet treats. "DO YOU HAVE GRUB IN HONEY? OR CRISP FAE WING?! FAVORITE. I BRING THING TO TRADE"

He stomps and a rather large bag jingles, coins and gems, tied to his side with a rather long stretch of leather. A whine comes from below as Tlazoteotl bumps into something. He peers down at three freshly born whelps. His head turns to the side, viewing each small guardian in turn. The nose horn pokes gently at the bright blue on blue female encrusted with red.

"YOU. LOOK. DELICIOUS."

Tlazo gives the small one a huge grin as he continues to bellow, "WHERE ISOAR? WANT BUY THIS CANDY!"

He opens the bag and tosses the contents around, spraying gold and gems in a wide arc.

"HOOOW MUUUUCH?!"

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Tlazoteotl certainly calls attention to himself; heads are already raised in curiosity as he lands, and several of them are lowered as dragons cringe at all the yelling. A fair-sized guardian, with a striped blue hide and brilliant red gems, peels herself away from a small group and sashays towards Tlazo. She places herself at the right angle for maximum reflection of sunlight off her gems from Tlazo's point of view, and scrutinises the germbond Ridgeback carefully. Not bad. Not bad.

A trio of gembonded guardian whelps follows her; two blue ones trot past her and fearlessly approach Tlazo, crests raised. The third pup, paler in colour with a purple hide, fleshy-looking gems and a truncated tail, hangs behind his siblings, his fins pressed flat in submission.

One blue pup creeps closer to Tlazo to investigate those cool-looking spines on his feet, and is nearly trod on when the Ridgeback stomps. The whelp squeaks and leaps away, but looks pleased with himself. Tlazo's gaze upon the purple whelp is enough to make him squeal in terror and rocket away, cowering behind a stunted tree. The red-on-blue-on-blue female, however, responds to the nose-nudge by snapping at Tlazoteotl's nose horn, laughing, and then taking a deep breath and screaming as loud and long as her little newborn lungs will allow.

"Here. I'M HERE!" Isoar snaps, her cheek fins flicking in irritation. Their mother squints at the fearless newborns scampering about Tlazo's feet, then at the sparkling coins and gems they are batting about. She raises her head, arching her neck imperiously, and announces: "I don't care. You can take them all for f-"

An ostentatiously-coloured mirror, materialises at Isoar's side, not-so-subtly trodding on the guardian's paw. The mirror's face is hidden behind a bird's skull and a cowl, though grinning white teeth are visible under the beak as she raises her head and voice. "Ten thousand. Treasure. Or..." Agwe glances at the money scattered in the dirt and motions to it. "...Whatever, if you ain't got enough. Good choice, that one. Already bit the tail off 'er brother." The mirror leans closer to Isoar to hiss quietly through gritted teeth, "Take it. And get him outta here before Knifehead or Otachi hear 'im, yes?"